


The Pretty Side of Morning

by emeraldswan



Category: Firefly
Genre: F/M, First Time, Fluff and Angst, Tiny bit of Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-15
Updated: 2013-05-15
Packaged: 2017-12-11 23:40:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/804585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emeraldswan/pseuds/emeraldswan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Things change aboard Serenity after a drunken exploration of lust.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Pretty Side of Morning

Title: The Pretty Side of Morning  
Author: Emmy  
Fandom: Firefly  
Rating: R/Mature  
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my vivid imagination. Joss Whedon rules the world (or damn well should). No copyright infringement intended.  
Pairing: Mal/Kaylee  
Word Count: 3,389  
Summary: Things change aboard Serenity after a drunken exploration of lust.  
Author's Notes: No spoilers for anything except that Kaylee fancied someone besides Mal, and Mal fancied someone besides Kaylee in the series. But, even then, it's a bit vague. There is not set point in time. It is, however, safe to assume that this takes place sometime after "Serenity" (the episode, not the movie), and . . . uh, before Serenity (the movie, not the episode). Also, I tried to keep this as natural as possible, sticking to what would likely happen in "real life" . . . you let me know how you think I did. That said, feedback is shiny.

Thank you to Elisabeth (dragonydreams), Kat (kallie_kat), Lar (larinzia), and Andy (rileysaplank) for looking this over for me. Really. Thanks. You guys rock. :)

 

Translations:

Ben dan: idiot  
Qingwa cao de liumang: frog-humping son of a bitch  
laja: garbage  
Zhe bing bu huai: it's not that bad/this isn't that bad  
mêilì: pretty/beautiful  
ni meí shì bà: are you okay?  
Wode tìan: oh, God!  
Wo de ma.: Mother of God . . . or my ma!  
ài rén: sweetheart

 

***

It only ever happened at parties. A celebration of a job gone well, usually. He did not know why he allowed himself to slip up, unless it was just because they were celebratin' something. But now, awake in his bed and certainly not alone, Mal was determined that this time . . . this time he would mean it when he promised that it wouldn't gorram be happening again. He would not drink more than the toast at the beginning of the party. He couldn't not drink then, he figured, 'cause that would be bad luck. 'Course, he wasn't sure that his latest adventure into relaxed, drunken bliss could be called lucky. There was a chance things would turn out okay, sure, but he sure as hell had brought about a world of complications that weren't there before by letting this happen.

He looked down again, taking in the splash of brown hair that spilled out from under his sheets and over his pillow. He'd known instantly who it was even though all he could see was her hair. He would've had to have been downright out of his mind not to know, a complete ben dan. His eyes drifted closed, and he wished for a moment that he could let himself fall back to sleep. That he could avoid -- ignore -- the inevitable conversation and general uncomfortableness that would show up once she woke up. Mal knew he couldn't though, and wasn't rightly sure he'd really want to even if he could. He had never been one to turn his back on things such as this no matter how uncomfortable they were.

Not to say that he didn't manage to always gum up the works right away, though. He never failed to do that no matter how hard he tried. He knew he could do a lot of damage by spoutin' off something from his mouth that came out all nature of wrong, and had done it repeatedly in the past. He glanced back down at her and swore to himself that he wouldn't do that this time. He figured he'd be hurting her enough just by being there, by being him and not the Doc. Sayin' something to her about it having all been a mistake, something they should just forget . . . well, that would fall under the 'all nature of wrong' category, he was sure of it.

And he didn't want to hurt her. Ever.

He might do just that though, just by not being someone else. Everyone knew that Kaylee fancied the Doc. Come to think of it, everyone knew about his attraction to Inara, and he was reasonably sure that someone had started a betting pool over how long the two of them would circle 'round each other. All in all, waking up with Kaylee in his bed would certainly change things. Weren't no getting around that.

He knew the second she woke up. He'd been asking himself (again and again) how the good gorram he let himself get into this situation when she tensed up. He still had his arm around her. In fact, nothing much more than his mind had been moving since he woke up. Before he could really think about it, he was squeezing the shoulder under his hand gently. "Mornin', Kaylee," he said just as gently.

She was silent for a minute, which he expected, especially considering he'd had much more time to get used to the idea of having her in his bed. But her voice held no tears when she did finally speak, saying, "Morning, Cap'n."

"Think you might should be calling me Mal right now. It'd make me feel less icky."

"You . . . you feel icky?" Her voice was soft as she pulled the sheet down and looked at him.

His eyes widened at the hurt in her voice. "Qingwa cao de liumang, my mouth don't ever learn a damn thing!"

Kaylee didn't say anything, but she did tense up a bit more at his exclamation. Mal sighed softly and thought for a second about what he needed to say to fix things. Moving his hand from her shoulder up to stroke her hair, he told her, "No, Kaylee, I don't feel 'icky,' but having you call me Captain right now makes me feel like more of an ass than I already do for taking advantage of you."

She shook her head slightly. "I don't . . . I didn't think that! I didn't think that you'd taken any advantage."

He blinked at her a couple of times, wondering how she could think anything but that, as he reached out to brush the hair from her face, out of her eyes. "You okay?"

She nodded slowly. "I think so. Cap -- um, Mal?"

"Yeah?" he asked, just a little breathlessly because he was almost positive that was the first time she had ever called him something other than Captain.

"Are we really as naked as it feels like?"

He fought off the grin that threatened to spill over his face. "Well, I've not looked, but . . . yeah, Kaylee, I am pretty sure we are."

"Do you, um, do you remember anything at all about how we got this naked?"

He paused at that. Truth was, he hadn't thought of how they got to where they were. He'd just focused on ways to not muck things up now that they were. He held her eyes as he did think about the how of the situation, and quickly discovered that the memories weren't as fuzzy as he expected them to be. "You were wearing blue. A pretty blue dress. And you were smiling. Been a while since I last saw you smile like that."

"You told me I looked pretty," she said softly. "When we first got to the party. You said I looked pretty."

"You did."

She swallowed hard. "I think we danced. That part's kinda blurry."

"Yeah," he said. "That laja we were drinking didn't leave much clear thinking behind, I will say that, but I think you're right. I remember dancing . . . with you and River, actually. Maybe even Zoe. I do remember walking you back to Serenity, though."

"I kissed you goodnight," she said suddenly, as if the memory had just dawned on her. "I was aiming for your cheek . . ."

"And you missed," he said, the memory taking leave to dawn on him then. "Got my lips instead."

They were both silent for a while after that, both of them (Mal assumed), taking stock of what had happened after that kiss. They'd gotten carried away, caught up in the feeling of their lips pressed together. He was pretty sure that had been the result of the whiskey they'd been served, but he couldn't blame everything on the drink. The memory of him pulling out of that first kiss and staring at her came back to him full-tilt. Her hair had been falling out of the ribbon she had it swept up with, her lips had been swollen and not a little bit shiny from their kissing, and her eyes wide as his. And he'd wanted another taste. He'd wanted this. Him, not the drink. Flashes filled his mind then of him kissing her again, of picking her up and pressing her back against the hull wall, of Kaylee wrapping her legs around his waist. How they'd gotten into his bed was no longer a mystery. It was, in fact, replaying inside his mind in brilliant colors.

He took a deep breath. "This don't have to change things, you know. Unless . . . unless you want it to."

"I won't be no good at pretending it didn't happen."

He tilted her head back up, made her look at him once more. "I'd never ask you to do that, Kaylee. Zhe bing bu huai. Now, I'll grant you, this is unexpected as can be, but . . ."

"But it's not that bad, either."

He nodded, and she held his eyes. "What do you want, Mal?"

Having intended to be the one asking her that question, he couldn't answer her for a minute. "I . . . I don't know, Kaylee. This's gonna complicate the hell out of things just by being what it is. Safe to say that at least Zoe has figured out that you're not in your bunk. And, the longer we're in here, the harder it'll be to sneak out if'n that's what you want to do."

"I . . . I," she ducked her head. "I don't know what you want me to say. Cap'n, I won't lie and say that I never thought about this happening. I have . . . not in a while, but I have thought of it. But I don't think you ever thought of it until, ya know, now. And I'm all kinds of tangled up over what I'm supposed to be doing now, on account of I don't have a gorram clue what you're thinkin'. For all I know, you want me to leave Serenity, and I don't think I could do that."

Ignoring for the moment that both of them were naked as naked could be, Mal used his considerable strength and flipped them over smoothly. Staring down at Kaylee, he did his best to dull the ache that had blossomed in his chest when she mentioned leaving Serenity. "Don't want you to leave. At all. Ever."

He didn't give her a chance to respond; his mind was whirling entirely too fast for that, his thoughts coming too quickly as he continued, "And you don't have to say anything you don't want to say. Or do anything you don't have want to do."

"Okay," she said softly.

Mal's head was starting to pound slightly around his temples, and he knew it was more from the way his thoughts were rushing through him, rather than him feeling the drink from the night before. Kaylee was staring up at him with wide eyes. He made his second mistake of the morning then. It was a natural thing, looking down. Thing was, looking down provided him with a new view, and he tilted his head to the side before he realized he was doing it. "Well, aren't you just the most mêilì little thing I ever did see."

The words were out of his mouth and making her blush before he could blink, and he raised his eyes back to hers with a sheepish smile. She had her lips pressed together like she was trying not to giggle, and her eyes were shining. All of his reasons, all of the things he listed in his mind before she woke up, about why this was a bad idea were still there. She was still on his crew, and his thoughts on getting involved in a shipboard romance hadn't changed. Fact remained that they fell together in a moment of drunken lust and, despite the fact that he'd remembered out and out wanting it (wanting her), that wasn't the best way to start a relationship. He knew that, no matter what the two of them decided in the solitude of his bunk, they still had the rest of the crew to deal with. Inara. Simon. Hell, he thought, the entire crew would have something to say about this. He also knew that she really was the prettiest little thing he'd ever set eyes on, and wondered why he'd never noticed before.

She reached up then and cupped his cheek with her hand. She was smiling. She was smiling, and things suddenly seemed crystal clear in his mind. Complications were inevitable; things would be complicated and tense no matter what. He could still see her, standing in front of him in that pretty blue dress, and he didn't deserve her. Didn't deserve even the chance of her. Yet here she was. . .

"Thinking too much," he murmured.

"What?"

He leaned his face into her palm. "I'm thinking too much."

"What'dya mean by--"

He cut off her words by leaning in and pressing his lips to hers. He didn't deepen the kiss at all, just held his lips on hers with the tiniest little bit of pressure. Kaylee made a small sound in the back of her throat, and he was about to pull away, thinking that he'd misjudged what she was feeling, when she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back. Mal heard himself groan softly as she slipped her tongue out to swipe at his bottom lip, and he rolled them again then, letting his weight settle back into the bed. Kaylee stared down at him for a beat or two before leaning in and kissing him again. He met her lips halfway, his arms going around her and pulling her closer. And this kiss was not chaste. This kiss was wet heat and soft, open lips. This kiss brought all the memories they'd made the night before back to the surface again. They stared at each other when it ended, breathing harshly.

"I . . . ni meí shì bà?" he asked quietly.

She nodded. "I'm fine."

"I meant--"

"I know what you meant, Mal. And yes, I'm okay. Are you?"

The com inside his bunk sprang to life before he could answer. Zoe's voice was practically shining with reluctance as it filled the small room. "Sir?"

Kaylee started blushing then, bright red, and Mal found himself hard pressed not to chuckle at the expression on her face. He pulled her head down to his chest with one hand, letting her bury her face all she wanted, as he reached out with his other hand to turn on his end of the com. "Yeah, Zoe?"

"Sir, do we need to hold breakfast for you?"

Kaylee shook her head passionately from where she lay, and he did chuckle softly then. "No, Zoe."

"Is everything okay?" she asked then, and Mal could tell she really did not want to be asking.

"Ev'ry thing's fine," he told her.

Silence followed, but he knew better than to think she was gone. Sure enough, after a few more moments, she asked, "Sir? Am . . . am I right in thinkin' that Kaylee's down there with you, or do we need to be worried that she ain't here?"

It took a lot to make Zoe stammer. A whole lot. He reckoned he found it much more amusing that he should've, especially when Kaylee groaned softly into his chest and swore quietly, "Wode tìan."

He ran his hand down Kaylee's back in hopes of soothing her, and confirmed Zoe's suspicions. "She's here."

"Good to know, sir," she replied.

The com went dead at the exact same time that Kaylee's shoulders started shaking. For one horrible second he thought she was crying, but then she looked up at him. "And just what in the hell is so funny?" he asked with a smile of his own.

"Of all the people that coulda ended up in this position . . . I bet'cha anything no one up there knows the first thing to say right now."

He grinned. "Oh, now, that is a safe bet for sure."

She nodded and sat up then, letting the sheet fall away from her body like it was the most natural thing in the 'verse. The material pooled at her waist, and it was then that he realized she was straddling his waist. If he'd needed further proof that things could never return to the way they were before -- that he didn't want them to -- he got it. His mouth went dry and might of been hanging open for all he knew. The only thing that was registering in his mind was that Kaylee was beautiful, and she was in his bed. She was naked and in his bed, and every single one of those complications waiting for them seemed to dim. "Wo de ma."

She tilted her head to the side. "What?"

You're beautiful. Glorious. Perfect. Damn near the best thing that's happened to me in a while . . . if not the best. He wanted to say it out loud but couldn't. He wanted to tell her that and more. Tell her how he didn't care what the others thought, that he was glad this had happened -- glad she ended up in his bed -- and that he didn't plan to let her leave any time soon, less'n she wanted to. He wanted to say so many things, wanted to shower her with the praise she deserved, but the words wouldn't leave his mouth. Instead, he found himself moving, sitting up and crushing her lips to his as he wrapped his arms around her. She moaned nice and pretty then, and opened her lips as he deepened the kiss.

Her hands traveled over his back, pawing at him, trying to get him closer, and she gave as good as he did with the kissing. He could feel his arousal building, could feel her growing damp against his stomach, and every swipe of her tongue, every little noise she made added to his growing need. She lifted her hips, moving as if to rub herself against him, and he forced himself to catch the movement before it happened. His hands gripping her hips as they hovered over his erection, he broke the kiss and stared into her eyes. Trying hard not to pant too much, he said, "We do this again, little Kaylee, and things will most certainly be changing between us. More so than they would if we just walked out of here 'fore anything else happens."

She nodded. "I know."

"Kaylee. . ."

"Do you want me, Mal? And I'm askin' if you want me, not if you just want sex."

He knew what she was asking. Knew exactly what she was asking. Kaylee wasn't the kind to go in for casual sex with those she called friends. He knew that, if they kept things going, what they had between them would be something. "It ain't gonna be easy, we do this. Ain't gonna be easy at all. But do I want you? Hell, ài rén, I'd be right stupid not to."

She smiled soft and a little bit sad. "You might be stupid if you do, too."

He pulled her back up to rest on his waist, and leaned in for a quick kiss. "That remains to be seen."

She nodded, making it seem like an automatic gesture, and Mal caught her chin. "Kaylee?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you want me? I ain't the Doc."

Her eyes registered shock then, and she sputtered a bit before finally saying, "Cap'n . . . Mal . . . 'course I want you. I'm still here, ain't I? If'n I didn't want to be here, I would have hightailed it long before now. And I know who ya are. That's not ever been a question. I know who I've got beneath me right now."

He blinked, accepting what she'd told him as the truth. "Uh huh. And seeing as I am the one beneath you -- not that I'm complaining; I've got a right nice view. But, seeing as it's me down here . . . think I might be able to convince you to kiss me again? I could really and truly grow to like those little noises you were making earlier damn near more than anything, I'm almost sure."

She grinned. "Oh yeah?"

"Uh huh."

Leaning in, she kissed him, once again meeting his lips halfway. He knew he wasn't going to stop her this time, if she moved to let things progress, and he had an inkling that she wouldn't stop him, either. Her hands were running all over his back, mimicking the way he was touching her, and when she moaned into their kiss, he couldn't stop himself from pulling her just a little bit closer. It was then that he finally well and truly let go, let himself get lost to her. Whatever was gonna come later could come. For right then, he was exactly where he wanted to be, and it seemed to him that Kaylee was too.

And that was enough.

 

End fic.


End file.
